Just A Burden
by stikenotes
Summary: When Adam drew out Spike in front of Sabrina, it was the last straw. Chase had had enough. He wasn't going to try anymore. He was a burden to his family and everyone around him. It was obvious now that no one had ever really liked him - so why bother trying to make it better? Alternate ending to "Spike Fright". May eventually contain Chase/Sabrina.
1. Chapter 1

Lab Rats

Just a Burden

Chapter 1

"Sabrina was the first girl who's ever shown any interest in me and you ruined it. Thanks a lot," Chase sighed and walked away. He turned his head, disguising the tears welling up in his eyes and made his way to the elevator to the lab downstairs.

Chase had been bullied and pushed around by his siblings his entire life. They constantly made fun of him – calling him names like nerd, teasing him about being useless, calling him a girl, and so many other things. When Mr. Davenport had created nicknames for Bree and Adam – Hustle and Muscle – and only said they would find him an "-ustle" and never really meant it or bothered, that had hurt. When he and his siblings had run away to protect the Davenports, Adam and Bree pretended to be a couple and claimed Chase to be their "daughter", Piper. That hurt as well. Did everyone hate him? Had he done something wrong? Why did no one actually want him, except for the one time his maniac father, Douglas, found him in the snow and attempted to convert him to his side. If he had to be honest, he really did have a point. Chase never did get the credit he deserved. He was always neglected by his family and teased for his smarts.

But compared to this, all of that was nothing. Adam was so jealous that his younger brother could actually get a girl to notice him over Adam, he had to do something to screw it all up. According to Adam, it had to be a nightmare or some kind of joke. According to Adam, no one could actually _like _Chase. Especially not a _girl_. So, he had to fix it. How? By making his own little brother make a fool out of himself. By making him look like a _monster_. In front of the only girl who had actually looked at him without laughing because of who he was or using him to get good grades. That hurt. _A lot._ It was like a stabbing pain in his chest that continued for far longer than it should have.

When he arrived at the elevator doors, the tears began to slip down his cheeks, one by one. The doors slid apart and he stepped inside. After pressing the button to take him to the lab below, Chase stepped back and leaned against the wall. He brought his hand up to his face and used his palms to wipe his face clear of the tears. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths so he would not burst into sobs. Why was it so hard for his family to see him with a girl who wanted to be with him too? Was it really so impossible?

Reaching the lab, the doors slid open again and Chase stepped out. He slowed walked over to his capsule and stepped inside. He had had enough. He was sick of his siblings putting him down and teasing him. He wasn't going to let them hurt him anymore. He was done. But it _hurt. _Oh how it hurt him. It burned like fire and ice. It cut away at him like a dulled knife pulling and tugging and a slab of meat over and over until it cut through; it never stopped. They teased and abused and isolated him. And he would never recover from these psychological wounds inflicted on him.

But this time they had gone too far. Enough was enough. As he leaned against the back side of his personal capsule and slid down he made the decision. If no one loved him, then he would just let them. It was obvious they never liked him, so he would let them continue disliking him. He would get in their way; he wouldn't speak to them so they wouldn't be annoyed; he wouldn't hang around them to be teased and called names or sent away because he was an embarrassment. He wasn't going to be a burden to them anymore.

When reached the bottom of the capsule, he brought up his hand to wipe away the final wave of tears and they instantaneously stopped. He closed his eyes, pressed them into his drawn up knees, and fell asleep. 

The next morning, Chase woke up early – earlier than usual. He was always up before his siblings cut never by this much time. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was still on the floor of his capsule rather than standing up. He glanced left and right seeing Adam and Bree still asleep next to him. He stood and pushed open the door to his personal capsule. Discovering that it was 5:19, he blinked and considered going back to sleep, but decided against it realizing he had not finished all of his homework from the night before.

Before going upstairs to finish his assignments, Chase returned to his capsule to change out of his clothes from yesterday into new ones for that day. After completing the task, he climbed into the elevator and went up to the second floor where his homework awaited him. Entering the family room and flicking the light switch on, he noticed that the destruction from the night before was absent. There was no evidence that Spike had ever been there. The remains of his Chemistry project were missing as well. Deciding to find and repair it later, he pulled out his backpack and unzipped the pockets to find a pencil and his homework. The pencil he laid carefully on the table in front of him before pulling out his notebooks and textbooks he would need.

Yawning, Chase started his homework. He knew it would take him less than an hour to complete because of his super-smarts, but he took his time. He had nothing better to do. 

Just over an hour had passed when Chase completed the homework. Putting his school supplies away, he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He turned to see Tasha Davenport coming down the stairs in her teal silk pajamas and bare feet.

"Chase, how are you sweetie? We didn't see you at dinner last night. Are you okay?" Tasha asked.

Tasha seemed to be the only person who ever cared about Chase. She was certainly the only one who was actually _kind _to him. Never had she spoken a rude comment to or about him. She was always so supportive and always seemed to be proud of him even though she never got to spend much time with him. If Chase had to be honest, it was Tasha that he loved the most. He hardly even knew her and they had never really had any special times together, but there were never any bad times either. And he loved her for it.

"I'm okay. I just didn't feel well last night. I went to bed early." He replied. It was partially true. He did go to bed early and didn't feel well, but not in the way he wanted Tasha to think. Hopefully she believed he just had a stomach ache or something of the like.

"Aww, are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah," Chase lied. "Loads better."

"Good," Tasha came and sat next to him. Nudging him on the shoulder she teased, "Donald told me you had a girl over last night. How did it go?"

Chase frowned. "It didn't. She wasn't interested. We just worked on a project. That's all." He looked away.

"Aw, baby, I'm so sorry. Sometimes girls are tricky. They act like they're interested when they're really not. Did she use you to get a good grade?" Tasha rubbed his shoulder.

"No, she just wasn't interested in me like I thought she was." Chase felt terrible for lying to her, but he didn't want to share what had really occurred the night before. He didn't want to burden her with his problems. Because that's all he was to anyone else: a burden. That was the last thing he wanted to do to Tasha. She was the mother he needed but never had when he was little.

Turning his focus back to the table in front of him, he sighed. "It's okay. I'm used to it. I'm a nerd. Girls don't like nerds, and this is just something I'll have to get used to."

Tasha moved her hand up to stroke his hair and Chase rested his head on Tasha's shoulder, tears welling up again in his eyes. He knew what he said was the truth. The only girl who had ever shown interest in him was gone and no other girl would ever look at him again for anything other than good grades. He sniffled and tears came more steadily, cascading down his cheeks and onto Tasha's pajamas. The mother and son rested there for quite some time. Chase eventually fell back into a slumber. 

When Chase woke again, there was a sounding of shoes on the stairs. Mr. Davenport was up and coming down for breakfast before setting off for work. Chase sat up quickly and rubbed his eyes. He glanced around to see the time, startling Tasha a bit.

"Chase?" Mr. Davenport asked. "You're up pretty early, aren't you? I usually don't see you before 7:30! It's ten 'til!"

Rubbing his eyes again, Chase replied, "I had to finish my homework from yesterday. I didn't feel well last night, so I went to bed early."

"Oh, is that where you were last night? What happened to the gir-" He cut off, looking at his wife. "I mean… did you sleep well?"

Looking down, Chase fiddled with his hands. "You can talk about Sabrina. I don't mind. I'm over it now."

"She ditched when it was done, didn't she?" Donald questioned.

"Donald!" Tasha cried. "What a terrible thing to say! Especially when Chase is hurting. Poor baby." She wrapped her arms around him once more.

"Right! I'm sorry, Chase." Donald replied.

_No you're not. You never liked me anyway._ Chase thought. _Nobody ever did._

"I'm going to go finish getting ready. Pack up my project and stuff…" Chase trailed off and got up. When he got into another room, he clenched his fists.

_Do not cry. Do _not _cry. _He told himself.

When he reigned in his emotions, Chase looked around for the remnants of his project from the night before. When he couldn't find them in that room, he returned back to the kitchen to search. He returned to muffled words of anger from Tasha to her husband. She pointed to the direction Chase had just left the room from and then brought her hand back to jab the same finger into Mr. Davenport's chest. She must have seen Chase out of the corner of her eye because she quickly spun around and smiled at him.

"How about some breakfast, Chase? You must be hungry considering you missed dinner last night." She quickly made steps into the kitchen.

"Maybe in a minute. I'm still packing up my project."

"Oh. Okay. Let me know when you're hungry, sweetie, okay?" She turned back toward Donald and glared at him.

Chase turned into the kitchen and spotted a cabinet door that was not completely closed. Upon further inspection, Chase discovered that a plastic bin was keeping the door open. He pulled out the bin and pried off the lid. The small pieces of his molecule were lying in a heap in the bin. He closed the cabinet door and stood with the bin in his arms. Grabbing his backpack, he slipped on his shoes and walked out the front door, knowing he could get to school to finish his project with no interruptions and no encounters with his family members – especially Adam.


	2. Chapter 2

Lab Rats

Just A Burden

Chapter 2

Luckily for Chase, he was able to make it to his first period class with his completed project before Adam, Bree, and Leo arrived. And Principal Perry hadn't bothered him while he was completing his project, enough he was the first student at school. She left him to work alone. Apparently he was a burden to her as well. Nothing new then.

His day went normally. He progressed through each of his classes as usual, at least the first half. During his lunch break, he found himself seated in the lobby, on top of the circular bench in the center of the floor. His fingers were entwined through each other and his elbows rested on his slightly separated knees. His head tipped forward and he looked down, studying his shoes and their molecular make up – again. Chase often found himself doing this activity – though it was not very enjoyable – because there was nothing else to do but listen to teachers lecture on and on about topics he already knew forwards, backwards, upside-down, and inside-out.

He found himself visualizing the laces in particular today – how each thread looped over and under another creating a complex cylindrical form that could expand and tighten or compress and loosen. He was just beginning to dive into what the thread was composed he heard a familiar voice call out his name.

"Chase?" It was Adam.

The contemplating genius immediately stopped his thought process and stood, making his way to any place that Adam was _not_.

"Chase, wait!" Adam called out. "Chase, look. I –"

Chase cut him off and turned to look back at his older brother. "Adam, I don't want to hear it. You ruined my chances with the only girl who has ever even _looked_ at me – and you did it _on purpose_. You ruined my social life forever!"

"Chase, to be fair, you kind of have to have a social life for me to ruin it," Adam smiled, obviously thinking he was making a good joke.

Before Adam could begin speaking again, Chase spat, "You think you're so funny, don't you? Making fun of your little brother, the nerd. _Don't you?!_ Well, I've got news for you. I _don't_. It's not funny. Did you ever even consider how this would make me feel? Did you think about haw this would hurt my feelings? Did you ever even care _at all?_" Chase closed his mouth before the oncoming sobs could escape. Tears were already escaping from the corners of his eyes.

"What? No, Chase, I –"

Adam tried to defend himself, but Chase cut him off again. "No, save it. I know you never cared. All I've ever been to you, and Bree, and Leo, and everyone is a burden. Just another thing you have to deal with for a little while before you can get away and move on with your life! None of you ever cared about me," The tears were coming quite steadily now and Chase's voice was beginning to shake. "All you have ever cared about is the soonest time you can get rid of me or the next time you can tease me about my height, my hair, my intelligence…

"I've had enough! I'm not going to do this anymore! I won't put up with the teasing and being left out!" Chase brought up his hand to wipe away his tears and growled, "If you don't want me, fine. I'm gone."

Throwing his hands down, Chase ripped the doors to the cafeteria open and walked in. Anger and hurt dripped from his countenance and the room grew silent as the students took notice of him. Some dared to continue their stare while others looked for moments and nervously returned their gaze to back to their food resting on the tables. Flo, the lunch lady behind the counter look up and noticed his attitude, rolling her eyes at yet another emotional teenager.

Bree and Leo, who were seated at their usual table, stood. Bree made a few steps toward Chase. "Chase? Where have you been? You weren't at breakfast this morning." Noticing his attitude she changed her question. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Chase glared at her and Leo before making his way to another table at the far side of the cafeteria. The table was empty and Chase pulled out the nearest seat and planted himself in it. His hands kneaded into his hair and his elbows rested on the cool plastic table. He closed his eyes and tried to shut out the world around him. Before he could completely cut himself off, he heard the cafeteria doors slam open.

"Chase, just listen to me!" Adam called out from the door way, "Let me explain."

Chase stood up and turned to face his older brother who was making his way through the crowd of teenagers toward him. "There's nothing to explain, Adam. Now, will you please leave me alone?" His voice dropped to a whisper with his last words. He pushed his chair out of the way and trudged to the door leading back into the lobby. When he passed his siblings he sighed, "You don't need to pretend you care anymore…"

Chase found himself stumbling into the bathroom a few moments later. He sank against the cool cinder-block wall and pressed his palms into his eyes. He found himself in position very often recently – or positions very similar to it anyway. He found that it helped him not to cry and calm down. However, his breathing was shaky. It was evident that he was about to burst into tears again.

_Deep breaths, Chase. Deep breaths. _He thought. In… out. In… out. After a few minutes, he heard the bell ring, signaling that lunch was over. It was time for him to go to his next class.

_Chemistry. With Sabrina._

Crap. 

Chase had previously dropped all of his things in the Chemistry lab before he went to lunch. When he walked in, he found his seat with his backpack beside it and the molecule project on top and slouched into it. People began trickling in behind him. Most people ignored him when they walked in – like usual – but when Sabrina walked in with her friends close behind, she paused and stared at him. The two stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Chase smiled weakly, and immediately Sabrina turned around and began whispering to her friends while they stepped into their desks. When Sabrina stopped, her two friends turned their heads to look at Chase. One glared at him and the other looked a bit frightened. Chase's smiled dissipated. He turned to face the front of the class and fingered the bits of the molecule sitting on the desk in front of him.

Suddenly, he heard Sabrina's friends protesting something and Sabrina appeared in front of his vision of the whiteboard in front. Chase smiled, thinking that she wasn't afraid of him opened her mouth and closed it again. She paused, and opened her mouth again – this time she spoke. "Okay, this is what's going to happen. We're going to present our molecule project. We are going to turn it in. We will return to our seats and then, it's over. Nothing else. Got it?"

Chase's smile disappeared again. "Oh, uh, yeah. Got it." He looked back down at their project, mentally sighing. Any hopes of being with Sabrina drifted out the door. Adam had ruined everything. To him, Chase was worthless and deserved nothing but unhappiness and a daily reminder of just how worthless he was. It was clear to Chase now. Nothing could change his mind and nothing could repair the damage done to it.

The chemistry teacher, Miss Gotschaw, walked into the room and set her things down on her desk by the door. With a smile, she stepped to the front of the room. "Alright, as you know, we will be presenting your projects today. I will be selecting which group will go first. You will describe your molecule, explain where it is found, and what it is used for. Remember, whoever has the best model will earn extra credit points and be exempt from their next major assignment. Good luck."

Chase did not need the extra points nor did he need the exemption from the next big grade, but he wanted them anyway. Sure, he had nearly a perfect grade in the class but he still wanted the perks nonetheless. They would keep his GPA up and get him into the best college he could find. And maybe – just maybe – they could get him into good graces with Sabrina again.

_Gosh, she's gorgeous._ Chase thought. He was smitten. And before the incident last night, he thought that she felt the same toward him. But his feelings remained the same. She was beautiful, smart, honest, funny, sweet. _She's perfect._ He hoped that having the best model and receiving the benefits that came with it would better his relationship with her.

Before she said she wanted to work with him, he hadn't really cared. But, when she came and spoke to him about it, he was so excited. She was interested in him and not just for his smarts! But, after Spike reared his head, his hopes had been crushed. When he remembered what having the best project could do for him that morning, he wanted to make it better than ever – just for Sabrina. Maybe she would give him another chance.

The class was nearly over. Chase and Sabrina were the last to go. The partners floated to the front of the room. Chase set the model on the table and looked to Sabrina, asking if she was ready. She nodded and turned away.

"Alright, Chase. Sabrina. Take it away." Miss Gotschaw said, a large grin on her face.

Sabrina stood with her lips clamped shut. Chase took this as his cue. He began explaining his project, trying not to sound too much like a nerd. While explaining, he gestured with his hands and pointed to specific points of their model. He showed off important bonds and elements that were crucial to the compound. He began to get excited. He spoke faster and faster. He almost forgot where he was. He explained so many things and wandered around the molecule, an enormous grin split his face. The third time he rounded the table, Sabrina stopped him with a hand on his arm. An electric shot zipped up his bones into his skull. He stopped mid-sentence.

"Thanks, Chase," she dropped he grip and turned back to her classmates. "Any questions?"

One boy in the back of the classroom raised his hand. "I got one, for Chase. Were you born a nerd or did you have to train?" The boy sat back in his seat and smirked. The remaining students laughed.

Chase frowned. He grabbed the model off of the table and slunk to his teacher's desk. He set the model down and Miss Gotschaw stood. "Alright, that's enough. Preston, shame on you. I have told you time and time again, I will not tolerate bullying in my classroom. Detention for the rest of the week. Report right after school. I will give you your assignment then." She turned to Chase. "I'm sorry, Chase. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." He smiled, though it never reached his eyes. "Don't worry about it." He turned his back and returned to his seat. People were still giggling at him. Except Sabrina. She looked kind of scared. She probably was recalling what happened last night when she had laughed at him and was hoping it would not happen again.

Chase tore his eyes away from her. He crossed his arms across his desk and rested his forehead against them. He did not look up again for ten minutes when Miss Gotschaw called out to him and Sabrina. He looked up and got out of his seat. He arrived at the large wooden desk, Sabrina close behind him.

"Congratulations, you two. Your project just got you extra credit and the exemption from your next big assignment. Great work!" She smiled.

Chase's expression changed slightly. He smiled a little realizing that his hopes may have just become a reality. But Preston's teasing was still fresh in his mind. He returned to his seat for the third time and slumped down, returning to his previous position. Very soon afterwards, the bell rang signaling that it was class change. He rose out of his seat and sluggishly lifted his backpack, swinging it around onto his back. He was one of the last to leave the room. When he finally got to the door, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw Sabrina looking at him, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Sabrina?" Chase was confused. "I thought you said –"

"Never mind what I said." She stopped him. "Thanks, Chase, for getting us such a good grade. This is going to help my grade a lot. I was failing but now, I can bring my grade up."

"Oh, well, you're welcome, I guess." He responded, unsure of what to say to her.

"But don't think this changes anything. I know what you really are, you_ monster._" She glared at him and walked away.

Chase was speechless. Sabrina's words cut like knives. They knocked the breath right out him. _Monster? Is that what she really thinks?_ Chase thought, horrified that he was that frightening. Hot tears began pouring down his cheeks, again. Sooner or later, he would run out of them. He had cried so many times in the pasts two days; he was surprised that there were any tears left at all. His tears nearly blinding him, he made his way to his next and final class before his free period at the end of the day. 

At the end of the day, he migrated from the cafeteria where his free period was to the lobby of the school so he could head home. Adam was waiting for him on the steps.

"Chase!" He called out when he saw him. He took the steps up to his younger brother two at a time.

"I don't want to talk to you, Adam. I thought I already told you that," Chase didn't stop or look up at his brother.

"Chase, please just let me explain," Adam huffed and followed his brother down.

"There's nothing to explain!" Chase had finally reached the bottom of the stair and turned around, glaring with teary eyes at his brother. "I know what you did and you know what you did. There's nothing else to talk about."

"Chase, I only need a minute to defend myself! Please, just give me a chance! Please, Chasey…" He trailed off.

Chase was not swayed. "No. I'm going home. There's nothing that you can say that will persuade me that you actually care about me. You want to know why? Because I know that you don't and I'm positive that you know that too," Chase told him. He turned and began walking away again. "Just leave me alone. Like you usually do, whenever you're not degrading me."

Adam was silent for a minute. From behind him, Chase heard him call out after a moment, "Chase! Come back! CHASE!"

Chase broke out into a sprint, but the tears had finally run out.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:**

**Sorry it's been so long, folks. My life has been really busy lately trying to catch up with school and such. For the record, I am not quite sure how steady updating will be. Hopefully I will be able to put up at least one chapter per week, if not more. However, as I am still in High School, finals week and exams will take away from my abilities to write. I will still do my best, but unfortunately I cannot make any promises. Anyway, back to _Just A Burden_.**

Lab Rats

Chapter 3

When Chase arrived back at home, Bree and Leo were seated on the gray couch in front of him. Bree had one of the pillows cuddled up to her chest and Leo was bent over, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at the shaggy rug beneath his feet. Leo flinched when he spotted Chase walk through the front door and Bree lifted her gaze only to glare at her younger brother, recalling how he had treated them at lunch.

Chase's gaze, however, did not change because of their reaction. He took notice of their reactions but continued to the elevator that would take him to his destination. He got into the elevator, feeling his stomach float as it drifted down to the laboratory below. The doors dinged and slid open. He stepped out and made his way to his capsule. He threw his backpack down in front of it and sat down inside.

He sat staring at his feet, when he realized the elevator was coming down again. He had not realized that it went back up. _Crap,_ he thought, _that must be Adam._ _He's probably coming to beat me up, again._ He stood up.

He looked around, searching out a place where he could hide himself. Finding no good place to take cover, he began to panic. He did not want Adam to throw him again. It was always so painful. Every time his older brother threw him, he would find bruises the next morning. Sometimes the bruises were the worst on his ribs and he would wheeze throughout the day if he exerted himself too much. Other times, Adam would punch him so hard that his arm would go numb. It would hang limply from his side for nearly an hour. The bruises would present themselves the next day in those cases as well.

In every case, Chase would tell Mr. Davenport exactly what had happened and the results of Adam's abuse. Donald had said that he would speak to the elder bionic, but there were never any permanent results. Adam might have apologizes a few times, but within a few hours, he was back to his normal activities of using Chase as his personal punching bag, football, or – in some cases – jump rope. The abuse never ceased and it never would. That much was obvious to Chase now. It would continue for as long as the two brothers were around each other.

Before the doors slid open, Chase remembered a detail about the lab that he had never found to be very important. The floor was compartmentalized. The hexagons could fall down into the floor for storage! Chase ran to the wall and typed into a panel on the wall that would open the floor where he could hide himself. The nearest section slid down and Chase grabbed the tablet from the desk. He jumped into the hole in the floor, landing on his feet. He taped across the screen and the floor closed overhead just as the elevator doors opened.

The compartment was pitch black except for the faint light from the tablet in his hands. He looked up to the floor above him, giving him a sensation of vertigo. It was strange – knowing that the floor was above and you were beneath it, staring up at the bottom. The darkness didn't help either. If it were not for gravity, he would have felt like he was about to drift up and flip over so his body would regain normality and stand on the floor.

But then again, wasn't this the same as being on a different floor of a house? Having one floor above and another beneath? He supposed it was similar, but it still felt strange and bizarre to him. It was not normal. He did not enjoy the darkness and the strange feeling he had while hiding out under the floor.

He heard Adam walking above his head. Instantly, he sucked in a breath and held it, as if he were hiding from a criminal or a monster. He could hear Adam speaking, but could not quite make out what his words were. The floor muffled the sound. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps ceased. Chase flicked his eyes back and forth, almost frightened that Adam had found his hiding place.

The thumping of Adam's shoes commenced again. Chase let out the air his lungs had been holding captive. The sounds grew softer and softer until they dissipated altogether. Adam had left.

Chase turned on the tablet in his hand and swiped fingers across the screen. He entered the access code and tapped the icon that would open the floor and lift up the compartment he was in. Light flooded in above his head and the floor elevated to match the height of the other floor tiles around it. When it reached level, Chase stepped off and set the table back on the desk he had taken it from. He turned back to the floor where he had been hiding. There were a few wooden boxes, most labeled fragile. He opened one and found the beginnings – and remains – of projects that Mr. Davenport had probably never finished or had been destroyed either by the fire in the old lab or broken by accident.

He pulled out what seemed to be a type of crystal geode – maybe? He turned it over several times in his hands. It was tinted a bluish purple. It was almost a periwinkle, but not quite. The light going through the crystal spilled onto his hand, tinting it with the almost-periwinkle color. Chase smiled for the first time in a while. He did not know why, but this crystal made him feel happy. Maybe it was the way the color seemed to leak out onto him.

This crystal seemed to be able to do what he could not. The crystal could leave a good feeling and influence others around it in a good, positive way. It could leave others better off. Chase, however, felt that he could not do that. He had tried in the past to help others and teach them using the knowledge his chip gave him. But, his light had no way to tint others. It was as if there was no light shining through him.

Chase frowned, realizing that his thoughts lead him down a negative path into his own world. He wiped the thoughts away and went back to his positive thinking. At least the crystal whatever-it-was could do its job. It could help others.

Chase smiled again. Maybe he could become like the crystal again. Maybe – just maybe – if he worked hard, he could get people to like him. He would have to change. Maybe stop acting so smart. That would be hard to do, but he wanted to try. Maybe Chase would get involved with some sport. Lacrosse? Wrestling? Track and field? Basketball? Chase was beginning to get excited. He could get people to like him! He just needed to act like the others!

Chase was lost in thoughts of how to regain the positive opinion of his peers when he heard a voice ring out.

"I'm telling you Mr. Davenport," Adam explained, "He's not down here. I just looked 5 minutes ago."

Adam followed behind an impatient looking Donald Davenport. Donald said, "Nonsense, Adam. Where else would he be?" Donald turned and spotted Chase in front of him. "Chase! There you are! Where have you been?"

Chase jumped and the crystal slipped from his grip. It crashed down to the floor and Chase cringed. That was _not _good. It was probably _extremely_ valuable. Its pieces scattered and made a screeching noise as they scraped the tiling on the floor. The colored pieces spread out the tiles and scratched the surface, leaving small lines in the floor. Chase flinched and slowly turned his attention towards his adoptive father.

Donald Davenport's eyes were wider than dinner plates. He was staring down at the shattered crystal on the floor, dumb-founded. His jaw hung open and he did not move for what seemed an entire lifetime to Chase.

"Mr. Davenport, I'm so sorry! I – " Chase started, but the billionaire interrupted his apology.

"Chase! What are you doing? That project cost me 10 million dollars and you shattered it! What were you thinking?" He knelt down on the floor near his son's feet and scrambled to grab all the pieces of the crystal.

"It was an accident! You scared me! I'm so sorry, Mr. Davenport!" Chase tried to explain but the man cut him off again.

"Sorry doesn't fix my project or get me back all the money I just spent on it!" He stood up with the shattered remains in his hands. "Chase, you are supposed to be the smartest of the three. When are you going to act like it?" Mr. Davenport sighed and walked away muttering under his breath, "I expected so much more from you…"

Chase stood, speechless, staring at Donald's back as it moved further away. The tears that had not been his companion for many hours decided to return at this moment. The pushed at the barriers and filled to the rim. Chase's breathing became short huffs and inhalations of the air in front of him. Silently, the tears dribbled out of their cells in Chase's eyes. They slipped down his cheeks. When Chase felt them, he clamped his eyes shut and wiped the silver globules off of his face. He opened his eyes again and found Adam staring at him.

Chase glared at him, daring his older brother to speak one word to him. Seeing his brother's attitude, Adam raised his hands in defense and backed away. After several steps, the tall boy turned and got back into the elevator.

Chase turned away and resumed his crying. Even his own father hated him. Well, adopted father. Douglas was his biological father. He wondered, _Does he hate me too?_

He really hoped not. Douglas was the only person who understood anything about what his life was like. Living in the shadows of a sibling's achievements. Constant teasing and bullying for intelligence. Never really having any true friends – people who wouldn't betray you in the end. Douglas had Krane and …. Chase after the avalanche incident and Chase had Marcus, Adam…. Sabrina. Douglas understood him, even if it was in a weird, twisted way. Chase was not and evil person so he did not fully understand Douglas, but now that his father was good again, Douglas had the capacity to understand his son.

_No,_ he thought to himself. _He doesn't hate me. He couldn't – no, wouldn't. Not after what we've both been through. _

These thoughts and realizations brought hope to Chase. Now he had two people who would be there for him: Tasha and Douglas – hopefully. There was no sure answer for them, but from how Tasha treated him that morning, he was optimistic about her. Douglas was the same. Not 100% positive, but there was hope.

The tears slowed to a stop. Chase glanced at the time on a nearby desk reading 4:45. He needed to get started on his homework. He wanted to finish before collapsing into bed today. He loaded himself into the elevator, still sorrowing over the broken crystal – but not to the point that he would break down – and went upstairs. He walked to the nearest bathroom and shut the door behind him. Turning on the faucet, he splashed some water on his face.

Gripping the edges of the sink, he thought, _Okay, no more tears. Nobody cares and nobody will so just cut it out. It's time to get on with your life. They don't want you, so you don't want them. You only have to stick around for another year and then you can graduate and go to college. Just hold on until then. You don't need them for a crutch. You can stand on your own. You don't need their help; you can manage everything without them. You don't need anyone else anymore. From now on, you are own your own. Never again just a burden._

He dried his hands and face on towel hanging from the rack on the wall. He turned and opened the door. He walked out with his new found confidence and returned to the lab to take complete control of his life – and his chip.

_No more crutches. No more block on the commando app. I can handle it._

He made his way down to the desk and plugged the USB drive in his finger into the desk. He typed strings of code and hacked into the settings on his chip. He found the commando app under heavy levels of blockage and security. With a few more lines of code, he removed all of them. He now had free access to the commando app. He could use it whenever he wanted and he could learn to control it.

He could use Spike to help people – to help himself. To defend himself. He wouldn't let people bully him anymore. He was taking control of his life. He was the master of his own destiny.


End file.
